A masterpiece that awakens the preciousness of reconciliation and mutual understanding in a world filled with the threats of war and terrorism. A profound reflection on the differences between European and West Asian civilizations.
Introduction
characters
Plot Summary
Review
Conclusion
Introduction
Set against the backdrop of the magnificent city of Istanbul, a fusion of Eastern and Western civilizations, and the Ottoman Turkish Empire, "My Name is Red" unfolds a tale of conspiracy, betrayal, and love defying death. Written by Orhan Pamuk, hailed as the "true master of storytelling" for his extraordinary ability to vividly revive the 16th century with a touch of 20th-century narrative, this work stands out.
Born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1952, Orhan Pamuk grew up in a relatively affluent extended family. He attended Istanbul Technical University for three years studying architecture but decided to drop out at the age of twenty to pursue a career as a novelist, dedicating himself entirely to writing thereafter. Pamuk's journey as a writer has been remarkably steady, with most of his works receiving high praise from critics. Dubbed as a rising star from the East by The New York Times, he had already swept several prestigious literary awards before clinching the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2006.
"My Name is Red" stands as one of Pamuk's masterpieces, set against the backdrop of the 16th-century Ottoman Empire. It is highly regarded for its portrayal of the conflict among Ottoman Empire painters based on the difference in perspectives between the Ottoman Empire and the West, offering profound reflections on the disparities between European and West Asian civilizations.
Characters
The protagonist of this work is a man named Kara. Kara marries a woman named Seküre, who already has two sons from her previous marriage, as her husband is missing in action due to war. Additionally, Hasan, the younger brother of Seküre's previous husband, appears, and Enishte, Seküre's father and Kara's uncle-in-law, is introduced. Enishte is favored by the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.
Meanwhile, there are many painters affiliated with the empire's workshop. These include Osman, the head of the workshop, along with painters known by nicknames such as Crane, Olive, Butterfly, and Elegant.
Plot Summary
The protagonist, Kara, a 36-year-old man, returns to Istanbul after a 12-year absence. He had lived in the house of his uncle-in-law, Enishte, where he fell in love with Seküre, Enishte's daughter and his cross-cousin. Driven by passionate love, Kara easily revealed his feelings, leading to Enishte rejecting him from their home. Consequently, Kara had to spend a long ten years in a distant country, Persia.
In the meantime, Seküre, already married to another man, has two sons. However, her husband goes missing in action during the war with Persia. Hasan, Seküre's brother-in-law, begins to openly show interest in the beautiful Seküre, as the culture dictates that when an elder brother dies, the younger brother may marry his brother's widow. Despite violating Islamic law, Seküre moves with her two sons to her family's house.
Eventually, Kara and Seküre reunite. Meanwhile, Enishte, under the Sultan's orders, secretly commissions the creation of an illustrated book, departing from the traditional Ottoman style to follow the European Venetian style, intending to showcase the empire's grandeur and cultural level to Europe.
Enishte chooses not Osman, the head of the workshop, but himself to oversee the project because of his past exposure to European art during his embassy visit to Venice. Among the participating painters are skilled artisans, including Elegant, Butterfly, Olive, and Crane.
However, Elegant, a devout Muslim, considers the last scene of the book, which he is working on, to be religiously incorrect. He is killed while discussing this disagreement with other miniaturists. The murderer, agitated by differences in opinion, impulsively kills Enishte as well when he visits to see the final pages of the book.
Seküre fears being taken away to her family's house upon learning of her father's murder and hastily divorces her husband to remarry Kara on the same day, demanding him to find the murderer who killed her father. Kara informs the Sultan of Enishte's death, speculating that one of the miniaturists involved in the book's production must be the killer.
Enraged, the Sultan summons Osman, the head of the workshop, and threatens to torture all the miniaturists until the culprit is found. Osman, who values the painters, pleads for a few days to find the murderer, vowing to risk his life to do so.
Thus, Kara and Osman begin tracking down the culprit. A clue, a horse drawing found in Elegant's belongings, leads them to suspect the artist who drew it as the murderer. Kara and Osman enter the sealed treasure vault of the Sultan to find similar artistic styles, encountering legendary works.
Osman, following the tradition of many master craftsmen who chose blindness to preserve the past style, stabs his eyes with a needle and blinds himself in the vault. Alone, Kara interrogates the painters who are now suspects: Butterfly, Olive, and Crane.
Finally, Kara identifies the culprit, but the assailant attacks him with a knife and flees. However, while fleeing, the assailant meets his demise. Despite sustaining injuries, Kara survives the attack and lives happily with Seküre, concluding the story.
Review
"My Name is Red" presents a very unique premise, revolving around differences in perspectives on art, which gives it an intriguing feel. It also somewhat adopts the structure of a detective novel as it delves into solving a murder mystery. Typically, conflicts and disputes among people arise due to historical reasons, longstanding grudges, political motives, or differences in values. However, the fact that a murder occurs due to differences in opinions about art is quite novel.
The disparity in viewpoints on art extends to the extent that even the absolute authority of the empire, the Sultan, is compelled to secretly commission the work. The reasons behind the murders of Elegant and Enishte stem from disagreements over art.
For the painters adhering to tradition, represented by workshop head Osman, a painting must be depicted as seen through the eyes of God. Therefore, they disregard perspective, paint religiously significant elements prominently in the center, and less important elements around them. They believe in portraying objects not as they appear to human eyes but as seen through the eyes of God, hence adhering to a consistent viewpoint and avoiding individual styles or signatures in paintings.
In contrast, Western paintings, represented by the Venetian Republic, depicted things as they appeared to human eyes. Thus, regardless of religious significance, if something appeared small in reality, it was depicted as such. Western painters valued their unique styles and didn't hesitate to incorporate their signatures into paintings. Such perspectives were likely difficult for fundamentalists to accept, leading to conflicts over differing views on art that culminated in murder.
The reason Orhan Pamuk's "My Name is Red" receives acclaim from critics lies in its adept portrayal of the cultural differences in 16th-century art appreciation. Rather than merely explaining the divergence in viewpoints on art, the novel incorporates events to vividly illustrate these differences, thus leaving a lasting impression on readers' minds.
The uniqueness and individuality of each culture hold inherent value, containing elements that should always be cherished, preserved, and protected. Meanwhile, civilizations constantly progress through collisions with new ideas, resulting in amalgamation and change. In fact, the history of civilization spanning thousands of years has been a process of such advancement. This novel showcases the individuals within this macroscopic perspective of history, showing why they struggle, what they sacrifice to uphold their beliefs, and what they gain and lose in the process.
Furthermore, it's worth considering the significance of the title "Red" in the novel. There is only one chapter in the book that shares the same title as the book itself. The speaker in that chapter, Red, exudes an air of self-assuredness. Red, representing all colors, can be viewed as a symbol of painting itself. Red boasts that no one can refuse or leave them, emphasizing that no one, regardless of their background, can be free from images or paintings. In reality, the novel includes paintings not only from the Ottoman Empire but also from Venice, China, Mongolia, Persia, and beyond, demonstrating that all humans engage in creating and pursuing art.
This novel delves into the conflicts, struggles, and murders surrounding the painters involved in the secret commission by the Sultan for the illustrated book. Ultimately, the characters in the novel are all caught in the grasp of the painting represented by Red. Red is thought to symbolize the image that humans pursue, likened to Jesus.
The miniaturists, masters of intricate painting, voluntarily blind themselves. Given that miniature painting requires intense concentration for long periods, eye strain is inevitable in this profession. Hence, they strive to prevent visual impairment. Ironically, accomplished miniaturists eventually opt to blind themselves, becoming objects of admiration by their juniors.
The act of self-blinding seems symbolic, suggesting that they no longer need to improve their paintings. Having adhered to typical models for decades, they can rely on memory to paint even without sight. In essence, having become a privileged class in painting, they may fear not losing their sight as they once did in the past but rather fear their paintings deteriorating. Through this portrayal, we see that when people stand to lose something, they will go to any lengths to protect it.
Conclusion
Upon reading this work, one can discern Orhan Pamuk's exceptional vision and insight into art and culture, which surpasses that of an expert. The conflict among the miniaturists in this novel fundamentally reflects the zeitgeist and extends beyond the clash of civilizations to depict the struggle between generations resisting historical inevitabilities. The conflict between the old generation, which aims to perfectly imitate a work to become closer to God through highly refined craftsmanship, and the new generation, which emerges with the advent of the "artist's consciousness" after the modern era, emphasizing individual "creativity" and "creation," ultimately leads to murder.
Observing the process that leads to murder, characterized by the highly disciplined mimicry of a work destined to become a criminal act, one naturally realizes why this novel resonates convincingly with readers worldwide today.
